Authors
Khulud Almutairi, Abdualrahman Saeed Alshehry
Published in
BMC nursing. Jun 19, 2026. Epub Jun 19, 2026.
Abstract
Workplace incivility is a pervasive challenge in nursing, yet its sources, correlates, and consequences remain underexplored in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's nursing workforce is among the most internationally diverse in the world and operates within a rapidly evolving healthcare system marked by hierarchical structures and high turnover rates. This study examined the level of workplace incivility experienced by nurses in Saudi Arabia, identified the demographic and professional factors associated with exposure to incivility, and investigated the associations among incivility, work-related quality of life, and turnover intentions.
A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed. A convenience sample of 278 nurses working in hospital settings across Saudi Arabia was recruited through online platforms between September 30, 2025 and January 6, 2026. Data were collected using three validated instruments: the Nursing Incivility Scale, the Work-Related Quality of Life scale, and the Anticipated Turnover Scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA with post hoc comparisons, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression.
The majority of participants (84%) reported moderate to high levels of workplace incivility; given recruitment through convenience sampling, this figure is best interpreted as an upper-bound estimate within a self-selected sample. The highest incivility scores were observed for patient and family sources, followed by nurse colleague sources. Younger nurses and those with fewer years of experience reported significantly higher levels of incivility. Nationality was a significant differentiator, with Saudi nurses reporting higher incivility than Arab nurses. Married nurses reported lower levels of incivility than single nurses. Workplace incivility was significantly and negatively associated with work-related quality of life and positively associated with turnover intentions. In the hierarchical regression analysis, work-related quality of life explained substantial additional variance in turnover intentions beyond incivility alone, after which the direct effect of incivility was no longer significant.
Workplace incivility is prevalent among nurses in Saudi Arabia and is associated with poorer work-related quality of life and higher turnover intentions. The findings suggest that work-related quality of life may account for the relationship between incivility and turnover. Multilevel interventions targeting patient and family incivility, peer dynamics, and organizational culture are needed to protect nurse well-being and support workforce retention in the Saudi healthcare system.
PMID:
42321744
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Jun 2026.
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